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Best podcasts · Updated

The 28 best science podcasts in 2026.

As of Oct 28, 2026, Real Alpha’s ranking of 5 science podcasts puts Huberman Lab, StarTalk, Into the Impossible With Brian Keating, Sean Carroll's Mindscape and The Joy of Why at the top, by the minutes worth watching cut from each. We follow 84 long-form podcasts and cut those minutes from their episodes. These are the shows we follow that scientists host, talking with the scientists doing the work: on physics and space, math, life and the mind. This list ranks the 5 we follow that fit it: the 3 we’ve cut 12 moments from, then 2 we haven’t cut yet. Then come 23 more we don’t follow, A to Z. It changes as we cut more.

How we rank: Each moment we’ve cut from a show earns a point, plus one when an AI builder is the one talking. Its episode’s points are multiplied by how many people watched it on YouTube: once at 100,000 views, half as much again for each tenfold more and half less for each tenfold fewer. A moment’s points halve every year after its episode came out. Each show is scored on its five best episodes by those points, so posting more often doesn’t lift it. Shows we follow but haven’t cut from yet come after, by the views their episodes usually get on YouTube.

The ranking

  1. No. 1. Huberman Lab

    Huberman Lab is a big general interview show we follow for its AI and tech guests, hosted by Andrew Huberman, with a new episode about twice a week.

    Top guests: Fei-Fei Li, Terry Sejnowski

    Start with:AI can explore futures humans cannot test directly

  2. No. 2. StarTalk

    StarTalk is a science interview show, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice, with a new episode about twice a week.

    Top guests: Morgan McSweeney

    Start with:Visceral fat can matter more than the number on the scale

  3. No. 3. Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

    Into the Impossible With Brian Keating is a long-form conversation show on research and big ideas, hosted by Brian Keating, with a new episode about twice a week.

    Top guests: Max Tegmark

    Start with:AI labs can keep the public in the dark

  4. No. 4. Sean Carroll's Mindscape

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape is a science interview show, hosted by Sean Carroll, with a new episode every week.

    Not cut yet. Its episodes usually get about 31,000 views on YouTube.

  5. No. 5. The Joy of Why

    The Joy of Why is a science interview show, hosted by Steven Strogatz and Janna Levin, with a new episode every two weeks.

    Not cut yet. Its episodes usually get about 17,000 views on YouTube.

23 more science podcasts we don’t follow

We don’t follow these, so they aren’t ranked. Here they are A to Z, each linking to where you can listen.

The same shows, by what they cover

Best physics and space podcasts

  1. 02StarTalk
  2. 03Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
  3. 04Sean Carroll's Mindscape
  4. 05The Joy of Why
  5. Ask a Spaceman!
  6. Astronomy Cast
  7. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
  8. Houston We Have a Podcast
  9. The Infinite Monkey Cage
  10. Planetary Radio
  11. Space Nuts

Best math podcasts

  1. 05The Joy of Why
  2. Breaking Math

Best biology podcasts

  1. 01Huberman Lab
  2. 05The Joy of Why
  3. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe
  4. Ologies with Alie Ward
  5. This Podcast Will Kill You

Best neuroscience and psychology podcasts

  1. 01Huberman Lab
  2. Brain Inspired
  3. Hidden Brain
  4. Many Minds
  5. Speaking of Psychology

Best science news podcasts

  1. Nature Podcast
  2. Science Friday
  3. Science Magazine Podcast
  4. Science Quickly
  5. Short Wave

Questions

What is the number one science podcast?

Huberman Lab is the number one science podcast in Real Alpha’s ranking of 5, as of Oct 28, 2026. It has 6 moments cut from 2 episodes, 3 with an AI builder talking, mostly on training data and robotics.

What is the best podcast to learn about science?

In Real Alpha’s ranking, the best of the physics and space podcasts is StarTalk (No. 2), and of the neuroscience and psychology podcasts, Huberman Lab (No. 1).

How does Real Alpha rank science podcasts?

Each moment we’ve cut from a show earns a point, plus one when an AI builder is the one talking. Its episode’s points are multiplied by how many people watched it on YouTube: once at 100,000 views, half as much again for each tenfold more and half less for each tenfold fewer. A moment’s points halve every year after its episode came out. Each show is scored on its five best episodes by those points, so posting more often doesn’t lift it. Shows we follow but haven’t cut from yet come after, by the views their episodes usually get on YouTube. Then come the shows we don’t follow, unranked, A to Z.

More lists, ranked the same way